Geelong have made it a Mother’s Day to remember on Sunday, after defeating a wasteful Collingwood by 20 points at the MCG.
Both sides came into this contest on the back of wins the week before, but it was a blow to the Pies before the game started, skipper Scott Pendlebury failing to get up from an ankle injury that he suffered last week.
Both Geelong and Collingwood went hard at the ball in the opening quarter. It was a tough contest, with goals hard to come by, until Jackson Thurlow broke the drought with a bouncing goal from 55 meters out.
The Cats went into the main break with a slender 7-point lead, and the second quarter was no different from the first, with bodies flying at the ball, but both teams struggling to score.
It wasn’t until the final minute before half-time that Stewart Crameri was able to quickly snap the ball out of a pack to give Geelong their first goal of the quarter, before the returning Gary Ablett kicked another only seconds later to give the Cats two on the trot, heading into the half time break with a 19-point lead.
After a goalless second quarter, the Pies came out firing, booting two early goals to reduce the lead to seven points, but Geelong were able to slow the play, and kicked the next three goals to push the lead out to 17 points coming into the final break.
The start of the last quarter was much the same as the second for Collingwood. They had plenty of opportunities, but struggled to convert, while Geelong continued to hold the Pies goalless.
Brodie Grundy kicked their first goal halfway through the quarter, but the equation became harder as the game went on, with Collingwood needing four goals in four minutes.
While the Magpies kept coming, Geelong’s pressure proved too much for Collingwood, with the Cats running home eventual 20 point winners.
The best for Geelong was returning master, Gary Ablett, with 32 disposal and a goal, while Sam Menegola led the goalkickers with three.
Collingwood were led by Adam Treloar with 34 touches, and Jack Crisp had 32 himself.
There were no injuries for Geelong, but the Pies lost Darcy Moore with a hamstring injury, and Tom Phillips due to concussion.
Geelong look to next week, where they take on a struggling Essendon outfit on Saturday afternoon at the MCG, whilst the Magpies will take on St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.
Bretto
Guest
PtS - Attack on kids.... Bretto - Nice straw man. I was attacking the coach and president who had taken the club backward for 5 years. We all know they players can play - it's up to the coach to get the best out of the team - which Buckley clearly wasn't. If you are hanging your hat on Mayne playing his "best game for the club", it's a very low bar to get over. How he is in the team before Fasolo is a complete mystery. PtS - As for the Geelong game, it is clear you don’t actually go to games. If you had, you would have known that Geelong turned over the footy as much as us. Bretto - as I said, they were rubbish too. PtS - Thats the trouble with fair weather supporters, quick to bag out their club and don’t get off their sorry backsides and go support. Fickle from week to week you lot and yes fair weather supporters from any club still make me feel pretty sick. Bretto - A tad tricky when I don't live in Melbourne. Hang on - maybe that's why I don't know anything abut the club, and am a fair weather supporter?!! I do applaud your passion for the club, and can assure you I care just as much as you. I won't be entering into further discussions with you.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Well my comments on you being a disloyal supporter stand from your comments last year. True supporters stand up when their club is under the pump. It's not about blind loyalty but about respecting decisions from those in better positions than one's self. It is why i admire Macca, Col and Kane in here. Even with the wolves all baying at the door, they stand by their club. I disagree with them but they argue their point. They don't just bag out the club like you did last year. I'm still waiting on your apologies for bagging the recruiting of Sam Murray? For your attack on kids who have actually improved a lot this year in Aish (before he was injured), Langdon, Hoskin-Elliott, Phillips, Scharenberg....and many more. Even Mayney played his best game for the club last week one of your favourites to attack. As for the Geelong game, it is clear you don't actually go to games. If you had, you would have known that Geelong turned over the footy as much as us. It was a terrible swirly wind which played into the Cats defensive structures. Check in with Cat, he actually went to the game. We were pushed wide by the Cats so a lot of our shots were from the pocket in swirly wind. Geelong themselves kicked 9.12. I didnt hear you bleating last week when we kicked 19.7. Thats the trouble with fair weather supporters, quick to bag out their club and don't get off their sorry backsides and go support. Fickle from week to week you lot and yes fair weather supporters from any club still make me feel pretty sick.
Bretto
Guest
Not sure what you'd rate a bad performance then. It was deplorable. Turned the ball over countless times. Kicked 5.15. The only reason it wasn't a 10 goal belting is that Geelong were also rubbish. We'll lose against the Saints this week if we play like that. It was 2016-2017 all over again. I admire your optimism, not so much your delusionalism. Please respond asap telling me I'm not a true supporter and so on. It's hilarious.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
In the cold light of day not a bad performance by the Pies. Scott probably out coached Bucks in closing the ground in with massive numbers around the ball. Buckley made some changes at half time but we missed our chances. In the end we could have perhaps pinched it with a few of those shots but the Cats defensively are very good and headed for finals again. Positives for us were two players playing their best games for us in the black and white in Scharenberg and Mayne.